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The Greatest Gift Of All
by Bro. Peter Rahme
 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
At this very special time of the year, let's step off the merry-go-round of all the associated activities for a few minutes and reflect on what Christmas is really all about.
What Christmas is:
· Christmas is about a loving God who gave us the greatest gift of all in the person of His Son. He came wrapped not in expensive garments but in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. God gave this gift of His Son to be the savior for the entire world.
"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" Luke 2:10-11
· Christmas is about a God-Man and a Man of God called Wonderful, which means miracle. Everything about Him was a miracle; He was born of a virgin, angels and heavenly hosts announcing the Savior, Christ the Lord, to the shepherds in the fields and wise men traveling from afar to bring gifts to this newborn King. "And the government will be upon His shoulder" - some commentaries say this is His scepter, or the key to His authority.
As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior
 Christmas is a time to give glory to the only true God for His love, grace and mercy, for sending His precious Son into the world, not to judge us at this time but to save us (John 3:17). The gifts we receive from one another, the great feasts and celebrations we have are all meaningful. But let's take time out to recognize and understand what, and who the true gift is. Then we can all partake of the blessings that He bestows on us from His grace and love!
Let us remember that God was the first to demonstrate His love to us. And this has not changed throughout the centuries since His Son's birth, He is still saying "I love you" to all who listen for His voice. We long to know we are loved with an infinite love and that there is hope no matter what we face.
This is the message of Christmas, and this is why Jesus came to bring an eternal light to a darkened world and offer a message of hope and love that could not be silenced. The message of Christmas is one of God's personal love given through the life of Jesus Christ. It is a message of extreme favor and  unconditional acceptance.
May 2009 be the greatest year you and your family have ever experienced together. May the grace of God fill you with joy and peace, and meet your every need as you serve the wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, Jesus the Christ! Hallelujah!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Bro. Peter Rahme
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